1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to personal computers, and more particularly to a cable manager system for connecting a variety of peripheral devices to a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,180 issued to Seo and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,460,547 and 5,569,052 issued to Belt et al disclose cable managers or port replicators having a configuration for integrating all connectors of peripheral devices connected to a computer requiring frequent movements thereof as in portable computers, thereby being capable of eliminating the inconvenience resulting from manipulations for individually connecting those peripheral devices to the computer to attach the peripheral devices to the computer and disconnecting the peripheral devices from the computer to separate the peripheral devices from the computer. Such cable managers provide convenience in that they can connect or disconnect peripheral devices to or from a computer in one operation.
In such cable managers, there is an accelerated consumption of battery electric power because even when no electric power is supplied from an AC power supply, the supply of electric power is continued through a battery. Furthermore, where the battery voltage is lower than a normal voltage, the computer system may operate erroneously. In severe cases, the computer system may be shut down.
The following patents each disclose features in common with the present invention: U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,387 to Endejan et al., entitled Enhanced Active Port Replicator Having Expansion And Upgrade Capabilities, U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,561 to Tamer, entitled Smart Power Connector, U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,887 to Nakajima, entitled Microcomputer Including A Circuit For Generating A Reset Signal When The Supply Voltage Is Below A Threshold Level, U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,972 to Clark et al, entitled Computer System Which Is Operative To Change From A Normal Operating State To A Suspend State When A Power Supply Thereof Detects That An External Source Is No Longer Providing Power To Said Power Supply At A Predetermined Level, U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,001 to Clark et al., entitled Computer System Which Is Operative To Change From A Normal Operating State To A Suspend State When A Power Supply Thereof Detects That An External Source Is No Longer Providing Power To Said Power Supply At A Predetermined Level, U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,517 to Shirota, entitled Docking System, U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,883 to Horiuchi, entitled Function Expansion Unit Capable Of Supplying Power To Computer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,334 to Horiuchi entitled Function Expansion Unit Capable Of Supplying Power To computer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,836 to Scharnberg et al., entitled Method And Apparatus For Sensing And Changing The State Of A Computer Before Connecting The Computer To Or Disconnecting The Computer From AN Expansion Unit, U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,052 to Belt et al, entitled Computer For Use With A Port Replicator, U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,180 to Seo, entitled Cable Manager System Of A Computer, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,547 to Belt et al., entitled Port Replicator.